


Paint It Red

by FamiliarFeels



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Arranged Marriage, Demon/Human Relationships, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-02-14 13:01:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13008333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FamiliarFeels/pseuds/FamiliarFeels
Summary: Whether by fate or by accident, Dean Ambrose is trapped in the realm of the Underworld and even worse, he's engaged to marry the Demon King. Throughout it all, however, maybe there is more to the monster than he thinks.





	1. Maroon

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to wait until I finished Torn Leather to post this, but the support I got on this was great and this was my way of saying thank you.

It was getting late. And by the looks of it, a storm was coming.

 

Sitting in the near-empty diner, Dean began to play around with the butterknife in his hands. He’s no longer interested in staring into his empty plate or the small tv in the corner playing some talk show nobody cared about. He’s been killing time for an hour, not wanting to go and face the outside world yet. 

 

He could really use a long nap right about now. On days as desperate as these though, he wasn’t looking forward to sleeping on the local park bench again or the cleanest alleyway he could find. The diner would be closing up in about ten minutes, however, so Dean didn’t have enough time to think over where he could go tonight. 

 

Paying for his food, he took a spare five dollars out and tried to tip the waitress, but was met with a somber smile.

 

“I know that’s the last of your money, sweetheart.” Dean was about to protest before she stopped him. “Keep it. You need it more than I do.”

 

“T-Thanks,” Dean mutters, stuffing the money back into his pocket.

 

She waves goodbye to him and warns him about upcoming rain before Dean steps out feeling the bitter wind cut through the warmth of his skin. Walking alone through these empty streets, he looks up at the night sky to see the the bright glow of the harvest moon before the moonlight is swallowed up by the clouds. The rain begins to pour and Dean now wishes he could’ve found a place to sleep sooner. 

 

While he’s walking however, Dean could sense that there was someone walking closely behind him. Not looking back just yet, he slips one of his hands to his pants pocket, hand wrapping around the pocket knife he kept in there. He could now hear the sound of a car driving slowly behind him now and that’s when things started getting too suspicious. 

 

Turning around was a mistake before Dean’s hit on the side of his head with something heavy. 

 

When Dean regains consciousness, his head is spinning before reality hits him that he’s now chained up in a dark room. 

 

“What the fuck…” He whispers as he tries to break free of his chains. “Hey! What the hell is going on here?! Where am I?”

 

Laughter starts to ensue on what Dean assumes is his captors. The room is still dark but he can vaguely make out the silhouettes of four people, one he finds out by listening closely is a woman. They say nothing to Dean as one of them kicks him down, the cold concrete hitting his back. The air is knocked out of him before his hands are brought up and is unexpectedly cut with a knife on his knuckles. 

 

He winces from the intruding pain and one of the men laughs while, Dean can only guess, he collects his blood. For what, Dean doesn’t know or care as he shakes him away by flailing around. 

 

“Answer me! Say something! Who the hell are you people?”

 

Again, they don’t answer him when they start to light a candle and Dean can barely see the outline of their faces. They instead begin to chant repeated words of a language Dean can’t make out before the cut on his knuckles begins to burn. There’s a ringing in his ears before dizziness falls back into him and everything goes black. 

  
  


This day did not go the way Dean had planned. 

* * *

 

Opening up his eyes, it feels like he’s had a bad hangover. But Dean doesn’t recall drinking, only that he seemed to have had a nightmare where he was kidnapped. His vision is still blurry and it feels like his body has been glued to the ground. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Dean could faintly hear whispering right beside him. Probably just some cops who are about to tell him to sleep somewhere else besides public park benches. 

 

“Do you think this is the one?” He hears a man say. 

 

“I think so,” Another man remarks. “Not much from what we expected, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

 

“He looks in need of some rest. C’mon, Luke. Let’s get him to the King.”

 

Dean’s fully awake now when he’s lifted up by the arms of the two men, his feet dragging on the ground. He blinks in confusion though when he checks his surroundings. This...isn’t the town. It was still dark but he doesn’t see a raincloud in sight. The buildings everywhere looked like they were from different points of time, almost ancient. Turning his head at the men who were carrying him, Dean felt himself go pale. People don’t have horns on their heads or red eyes. These weren’t men. They looked like monsters.

 

The two must’ve sent the tension in him because they looked at Dean with confusion.

 

The tallest one sets him down. “Don’t try to panic, young angel. Everything will be fine once you’re brought to him.” 

 

“I, uh...who?” It seemed hard to even form words right now. Dean still felt sluggish. 

 

“Our king,” The other answers. “Fate sent you here for him, didn’t it?”

 

The headache started to settle in and Dean squeezed his eyes shut. There was a reasonable reason why he felt weird and was surrounded by two guys with freaky horns. 

 

“No. No, I see what’s wrong. This...this isn’t real. I must’ve fell asleep and now I keep having these crazy nightmares.” He nodded at himself. “Right. None of this is real. I’m gonna wake up and everything is gonna be the same as it was.”

 

The two looked at each other with raised eyebrows. 

 

“This isn’t a dream, young angel. You’ve been sent here for our king, you’re his intended.”

 

Intended? Young angel?

 

Dean has had lucid dreams in the past, but this one takes the cake. He tried slapping the side of his head in an effort to wake himself up. There had to be some way he could wake up. Feeling around his pocket, he could sense that his pocket knife was still in there. He didn’t begin to question why his dream would include such a detail. Instead Dean brought out the small knife and swiped it across the palm of his hand in a last ditch effort to wake up.

 

The only thing he was left with was searing pain from the nerves cut.

 

“Gah! Son of a bitch!”

 

This wasn’t right, this didn’t add up! Dean was supposed to wake up, not still be here! He wasn’t supposed to feel pain in his hand. This wasn’t real, it couldn’t be. Did this mean he was really kidnapped? But then….where was he? Dean falls to his knees in shock, too disturbed to pay any mind to the bleeding on his hand.

 

“Um...young angel?” The shorter one asks. “I know it’s a lot to take in right now, but I don’t think cutting your palm like that was necessary. Here, wrap your hand in this cloth.”

 

Dean didn’t say anything at first while wrapping up his wounded hand. Staring at the ground seemed less troublesome than facing the reality that was now. There was still that inkling, that hope, that this was all just a nightmare.

 

“Where…where is this?”

 

“The Underworld. Name’s Luke. Karl and I are your escorts.”

 

Now Dean had always believed in the paranormal and entities living on the other side, however he never imagined that he’d be caught in the middle of it. He began to wonder if the people who kidnapped him sent him here. Luke did mention how ‘fate’ sent him. But there was a lot of things that didn’t make sense, though. Exactly  _ why _ was he here.

 

“W-Why do you guys keep calling me a young angel?”

 

“That’s what you are, right?” Karl asked. “You’re the angel those people sent to us to marry our King.”

 

Dean widens his eyes. “Marry?!”

 

“Yeah. It has to be you, you have the markings on your knuckles and everything. The markings represent your betrothal to our King. And we were told it would be an angel who would wed him.”

 

Looking down, Dean didn’t even notice the letters etched into the knuckles on both of his hands. From his thumb to his pinky, it spelled out ‘B A L O R’ but how it got there, he didn’t know. This had to be a cosmic mistake.

 

“Woah, woah, woah. Take a step back, whatever you two are. Let’s get one thing straight here. I’m not an angel. I’m a person. And I don’t know how these letters got on my hands. I don’t know how or why I’m here. But I’m not marrying somebody I don’t know!”

 

Luke and Karl’s expressions begin to drop in disappointment and uncertainty. 

 

“Wait, you’re not an angel?” Luke questioned. 

 

“No. Hate to tell you this, but I’m far from one.”

 

The two started to curse under their breath and turned around to whisper in each other’s ears. A minute later, they turned with serious gazes, Luke and Karl picking Dean the same way up before, picking up the pace as they walked away.

 

“Hey! What’re you doing? Put me down, I’m not some kind of ragdoll!” 

 

“Zip it, human. The Demon King will know what to do with you.”

 

Dean keeps struggling in their hold for close to twenty minutes before he sees it. It’s a huge castle that pops out in the darkness of the Underworld, orange and red that reflects off of it like crystals and embers of a fire. It’s so breathtaking that Dean almost forgets he’s being held hostage by two demons. When they arrive at the gates, they are greeted by what looks like a young woman with her brown hair tied up in a ponytail, her smile wide and welcoming. She’d almost look human if it wasn’t for the bat-like wings connected to her back or the nails that looked like she could slit anyone’s throat at a moments notice. It was quite unsettling to Dean how much these demons could pass as humans if you took away some of their traits. 

 

The gates to the castle open and Dean is dragged away once more, this time with the gatekeeper leading the way. She looks over to stare at him, as if she’s examining him like a specimen. 

 

“There seems to be a mistake, human.” She speaks once she looks away. “You see, we were told an angel was going to be sent on the night of the harvest moon. I think they must’ve gotten confused.”

 

“I’ve been told,” Dean sighs. “Any chance that this is still a dream?”

 

She looks like she’s about to giggle. “Sorry. You’re awake, sadly. We don’t like this unfortunate mix up any more than you do. Maybe an explanation with the king and his advisor will settle the matter. I hope.”

 

They stop in front of a large door and it’s practically spelling out for you that it’s made for royalty. This was probably the throne room where their King lies. Taking a deep breath, Karl and Luke open both sides with their free hands and Dean is left in awe by what he sees. It’s built like a ballroom with chandeliers and a marble floor shining throughout every corner. The red and black carpet lead to a large grey throne where Dean can see what he assumes is the Demon King, his body covered in a black cloak. He doesn’t know what to make of him since he can barely make out what he looks like. All he can see under the cloak is two glowing, radiant blue eyes staring into his own.

 

Dean is so immersed in his eyes that he almost ignores the bigger guy standing right next to the throne. Must be the King’s advisor. 

 

“Bayley. Is that the angel we sent Luke and Karl to fetch out?” The advisor asks. 

 

“Yes, Kane. Although…” Bayley hesitates, giving Dean a nervous expression before continuing. “I believe there’s been a mistake. The Demon King’s intended...turned out to accidentally be a human.”

 

There’s silence for a moment but it’s made even more uncomfortable for Dean when those blue eyes won’t stop staring at him. 

 

“How stupid a mistake can there be when a human is in this castle! In the King’s presence!” Kane bellows out. “Then that means that our King has no intended after all.”

 

“Well, sir, that’s where we’re wrong.” Karl speaks out and grabs Dean’s hand roughly. “Look! The markings are still on his hands. Therefore, despite him being human, he’s still betrothed to the King.” 

 

“Stop!” Dean yells out, causing Luke and Karl to finally let him go. 

 

This is too much and too hard to believe but Dean would be damned if he let himself be nothing but a pawn, especially to be wedded off to some demon. All eyes are on him, but he points in defiance at the advisor named Kane. 

 

“I already explained to your lackeys here that I’m not marrying your king! I’m not supposed to be here anyways so I won’t be betrothed to him, no matter what my knuckles represent! You got that?”

 

“It doesn’t matter,” a low toned whisper voices out. 

 

Dean and even the demons surrounded are surprised to hear the Demon King speak up. His glowing blue eyes are no longer looking at Dean with curiosity. Now they’re staring at him with contempt. 

 

“Whether fate has chosen you to be my intended, I will not wed a human any less than you would wed a demon. And we can’t choose another now that you have the markings of my name.” He sighs but it sounds more like a growl. “Take him away. He’ll stay in one of the spare rooms until we can find out what to do with him.”

 

Dragged out by the hood of his jacket, Dean didn’t know whether or not he should flip him off or laugh at the stupidity of it all. Even in the Underworld, he was an outcast. The duo toss him out of the throne room, leaving Dean to pick himself up with only Bayley at his side. 

 

“I’m really sorry that this happened. If I could send you back home, I would. At least you two agreed on not marrying each other.” 

 

“You’re a lot better than that bunch. I thought that demons were supposed to be evil or something.”

 

A shrug and she leads the way once more. “We’re all different down here.”

 

Having no other choice, Dean takes one more look back at the closed door of the throne room and follows Bayley to his new room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill.
> 
> dragon-familiar @ tumblr


	2. Burgundy

Following Bayley through the dimly-lighted corridor, Dean noticed the setting of the environment. The castle was old, that much was obvious. The walls of the corridor looked like they were falling apart with the cracks in them, black candles lighting the way. He spotted various paintings on the walls too, most of them containing art of what seemed like a rural European village. The windows showed off the darkness of the Underworld outside, and he could see the crescent moon shining down bits of light down. At least, Dean thought it was supposed to be the moon. It was red, like most things down here. There was also a cold draft, which made him thankful that he was wearing a hoodie.

 

Taking in everything, he nearly forgets that Bayley is there and stops short. She’s unlocking one of the doors and there’s a grimace on her face once it’s open. Looking inside, Dean sees why. There’s not much to show for. It’s a crappy bedroom, the place almost completely empty. The only things that are present is a vanity table that has a wooden chest beside it and a bed frame with only a small mattress and a single pillow. Dean expected a nicer guest room from this supposed “king” but he wasn’t really a guest here, was he?

 

Still, it was better place to sleep than anything Dean had going for himself in a long time.

 

“I wish I could find a better room for you,” Bayley shakes her head. “But most rooms in here are occupied by staff like me.”

 

Dean stayed silent and sighs as he makes his way into the room. It was colder in here than it was in the corridor.

 

“Not to worry, human. It’s only temporary until we can send you home. Um, where  _ do _ you live, exactly?”

 

“Oh, um...nowhere, actually.” The mattress felt surprisingly soft. Or maybe it was because he hadn’t slept on one in a while.

 

“Ah, so you’re a nomad, then! A traveler.”

 

A shrug. “I guess.”

 

“Well, I should give you some privacy. You probably still need some time to adjust to the situation.” She smiles, her eyes gleaming red. “I’ll check on you later. I’m sorry again for everything that happened today, uh...whoops. I’ve just realized that I don’t know your name, human.”

 

“Dean,” he mumbles.

 

The cheery little demon just nods and shuts the door and like always, Dean is left alone in the cold. It’s all still so hard to believe. He was trapped here and who knows what was going to happen to him. Bayley seemed alright, but he couldn’t say the same for the rest of the monsters he had met. Especially their king. They were demons, and demons were dangerous. Dean shivers and puts on his hood, curling up on the small mattress. His eyes land on the letters imprinted on his knuckles. The markings that imply his betrothal to the king. 

 

Betrothal be damned. He was at least thankful that the king agreed to not marrying him as well. Why did these things have to happen? Life was bad enough as it was, he didn’t need to add marriage to a demon to the list. He shuts his eyes and hopes he can get some sleep. 

 

* * *

 

Dean wakes up to find himself still in the same place. A shame. Part of him wanted to still believe that this was all some fucked up dream. He stretches and makes his way out of bed. He’s not sure how long he’s been asleep or what time it is since there are no clocks here. Maybe a look outside the corridor windows would help him out. 

 

But Dean is left shocked when he sees that the red crescent moon is still out, the blanket of darkness still covering this world. Dean groans and rubs the temple of his head, feeling the migraines coming on. This was still too much to understand and he wasn’t even supposed to be here. He wished he could be back at his favorite diner, the nice waitresses there giving him smiles that made him feel secure even for a short time. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

 

“Oh, you’re awake!”

 

He looks to his left to see Bayley walking towards him, but Dean doesn’t know if he is in the mood to talk. He is in the mood to know what time it was.

 

“How long was I asleep?”

 

“Around six hours.”

 

“Then why is it still dark outside?”

 

“You’re in the Underworld. There’s no day or night here. Just existence.”

 

Dean sighs. “Great…”

 

Bayley can see the troublesome and confusion in his eyes and decides to lighten up the mood. “You look hungry. Follow me to the dining hall. We’ll get you something to eat.”

 

“Wait. Do demons even eat?”

 

“Mm, no. Not really. But humans do. Just come on.”

 

Giving in, Dean follows her through the different passageways of the castle and takes note of the black candles that haven’t melted an inch since he went to sleep. It must’ve been part of all the other supernatural elements in and out of the castle.

 

They walk into a large dining hall, a fancy styled table decorated with expensive looking plates and silverware. Bayley gestures for him to sit anywhere he pleases, so he does. Bayley sits across from him, staring at him like she did when he first got here and like how her king looked at him. Except where her eyes were blood red, the king’s was glowing blue. Dean guessed they were waiting on the food and this was Bayley’s way of entertaining herself.

 

“Why does everyone here keep staring at me?”

 

“Sorry, it’s just...I’ve never met a human before. Most of us down here haven’t. It was interesting enough thinking you were an angel, but then knowing you’re just an ordinary human? I don’t know, to me you became even more fascinating.”

 

“Seems like the rest of the crew here would disagree with you.”

 

“Oh, Luke and Karl? They’re just looking out for the Demon King’s best interest. I guess everyone is just mad because they sent you instead of an angel, like the order said. And now we have to go through all this trouble to sort things out.”

 

“Got it. So I’m a burden.”

 

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like-”

 

“No, it’s cool. I don’t want to be here either.”

 

“I got food!” A voice shouts.

 

Running in with a plate in hand comes in another demon. She’s a lot like Bayley in the sense that she could pull off the disguise of a normal person if one could ignore the piercing red eyes and claws. Her hair is bright and wild like fire, a noticeable trait. She smiles at him wide when she puts the plate down in front of him, Dean visibly flinching at her pointy teeth. They can probably cut through flesh like butter, he thinks. Suddenly he doesn’t feel like eating the sandwich he received. 

 

“Hope it’s to your liking, human.”

 

Bayley claps. “Dean, this is Becky. She’s one of the demons that helps around here.”

 

Dean only nods and waves to her. He was nervous for any other freaky demons that were wandering around the castle. He didn’t even want to think about the demons that lived outside these crumbling royal walls. 

 

Becky looked at him curiously. “Not much of a talker, are you?”

 

He wished these demons would stop staring at him. In his world, no one did as much as give him a sideways glance, but nobody seemed to stop looking here. With a new pair of red eyes gazing into him, Dean wondered: could demons read minds? He hoped not. He didn’t want Becky to feel bad about scaring him with her teeth and claws, especially after she just made him a meal.

 

He needed them to talk about something, anything.

 

“What’s with your king?”

 

“What do you mean?” Bayley asks.

 

“Well...you all have red eyes. But his is different. They’re blue. And he wears that big cloak to cover himself.”

 

“The Demon King is special,” Becky answers. “He’s a lot different than the rest of us, but that’s why he’s our ruler. He never shows himself off, you see.”

 

“Different? Okay, then why choose an angel to marry? Why not just another demon?”

 

“Well, we’re not supposed to tell-”

 

“Bayley! Becky!”

 

Turning around, Dean sees Luke and Karl enter the dining hall, frowns on their faces. 

 

“What are you two doing, talking to this human about our King?” Luke snarled. “You’re supposed to make sure he stays out of trouble, not entertain him!”

 

“Relax, grumpy.” Becky rolled her eyes. “He was hungry and Bayley and I wanted to keep him company.”

 

“Doesn’t matter,” Karl snorted. “The King and his advisor wish to speak with the human. Now.”

 

Bayley glares at them but nods in agreement. She doesn’t have time to ask Dean to go with them because Dean is already being lifted and dragged by the two guards to the throne room. Dean really hoped this wouldn’t be a regular thing whenever he was forced to see this king of theirs. He hated being dragged and fighting back against them just ended in more dragging. Entering the throne room is the same as before, but this time Dean could tell that the king wasn’t happy to see him.

 

Throwing him forward, Dean gives the two guards a nasty look before he stands up straight to the advisor named Kane.

 

“What the hell do you want?”

 

“Mind your tongue, human. You’re still in the King’s presence and a temporary stay in this castle,” Kane bellowed. “We’ve sent you here to inform you about your current situation.”

 

“You mean you can send me back?”

 

“Afraid...that seems out of our reach right now.”

 

Dean feels his attitude get shot down like a bird to a stone and feels that hope die inside him. He looks over to the Demon King, getting plunged into the glow of blue eyes once again. It was almost hypnotive. Who was this king under his cloak? He still needed to know why he was trapped here first. 

 

“But why?”

 

“Despite you not being an angel like we had hoped, you still have the King’s name engraved into your skin. Angel or not, you have been chosen. And it will stay there until you complete the task of marrying the King. We cannot send you back to your world as long as you are bound to the Demon King. Any chances of doing so could result in your death.”

 

Dean gulped. “You mean I’m stuck here? Permanently?” 

 

“We don’t want the job of babysitting a human and our King will not submit to the idea of marrying a human. But we have no other option at the moment. Until we can find another way to take you back and our King can receive the intended we had originally hoped for, you will remain in the Underworld. You’re not a prisoner, so you can leave the castle whenever you feel like. We already made the decision that in spite of you bound to the Demon King, you will not wed.”

 

Dean finally felt that migraine kicking in. He had never gotten sick in his whole life, but right now was probably an exception. He didn’t want to be here for the rest of his life, but it’s not like life back in his world was so great either. He knew it would end like this. It always does. Anger now surging through his veins, he stares right into the Demon King’s eyes, no longer intrigued by them but now pissed off.

 

“I would’ve expected you, a king, to break the news to me. Not your little lap dog there!”

 

Kane was about to say something, but stopped once the Demon King raised to his feet and it felt like the ground had shook. Seeing him standing upwards for the first time since he had gotten here, Dean could now see the outline of his face, his claws balling into a fist and pointing towards the door.

 

“Get out,” he howled.

 

Dean smirked. “With pleasure,  _ Your Highness _ ! I’m glad I don’t have to marry you, but I feel sorry for the angel that would’ve!”

 

Getting the last laugh, Dean stomps out of the throne room, refusing to be dragged or thrown out by Luke and Karl. If this was how it was going to be, he wasn’t going to make it easy for the Demon King. If he threw him out of the castle, that was fine. He had gotten well on his own for most of his life anyway and no one was about to change that. Not even a king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's great to finally return to this idea of mine! Our boys aren't starting off on the best of terms, are they?


	3. Crimson

Storming off to his room, Dean huffs as he falls back on the mattress. His body shivers just thinking about that arrogant king. That king could’ve at least had the dignity to speak with him like a leader, but instead chooses to have his advisor do it for him. Dean sighs angrily, knowing it was that king’s fault and need of finding an angel to marry that he was now stuck in the Underworld for the rest of his life. His anger surges when his eyes land on the letters etched into his knuckles as a reminder of his imprisonment. Having the need to throw something, he pulls his pocket knife out and throws it hard across the floor, not worrying if it breaks. 

 

It’s been through worse, Dean thinks to himself before he hears a knock on the door. 

 

He ignores it but that doesn’t stop Bayley and Becky from making their way inside. They both carry shocked expressions on their faces and Dean guesses that they must’ve already heard the news about what happened in the throne room. Bayley crosses her arms like an upset mother. 

 

“You may be the only human I’ve ever met, but you are by far the stupidest.”

 

She lets out what sounds like a hiss and paces back and forth in the room. Becky holds herself in a similar situation, teeth bared like she wants to screech. 

 

“How could you speak to the Demon King like that?” Bayley questions loudly. “Do you have no respect?”

 

“Do you know what he could do to you with the snap of his claws?” Becky speaks next. 

 

Dean only rolls his eyes. Like he cared what their king could do to him. Nothing could be worse than his current situation. He didn’t have to respect a king that had no control over him.

 

He turns his head to see Bayley bending down to pick up his pocket knife from the floor. 

 

“Don’t touch that.” 

 

She flinches slightly and Dean gets up himself to retrieve it himself. He flips the blade back in place and takes a second to admire the design, something he had never gotten tired of, no matter how many years he had owned it. The way it looked like a seashell or a feather from certain angles, the weird inscriptions. The two demons looked confusingly at the knife and Dean puts it back in his pocket. 

 

“It’s...special to me.”

 

“Why?” Becky asks. “It looks like an ordinary little knife to us.”

 

“Yeah, well it’s more than that to me, okay?” 

 

Not surprised by his answer, Becky just shakes her head. “Humans are very strange.”

 

“They sure are! The Demon King is very upset with you, Dean. How are Becky and I supposed to make you a home here now?”

 

“This isn’t my home!”

 

There is a sad glint in Bayley’s red eyes. “I know that. But you’ve told me that you don’t really have a home, right? I wanted to at least make you feel welcome here because nobody else wanted to. We’re all in a bad mix up from this mistake. You, especially. It sucks that you can’t go back. But you don’t have a place to go back to, do you? You can start again down here. I’ll help you.”

 

“Now that’s going to be hard,” Becky cautioned. “You’ve angered the Demon King and there’s no way you’re getting out of that without punishment. Which means it will be harder for us to help you adjust.”

 

Dean goans and wishes for the first time that he could be invisible to others again. At least that would give him some familiarity of how things used to be before all this. Perhaps he wasn’t used to this but-

 

“Why do you even want to help me? You barely even know me.” And I barely know you, he wanted to add. He still wasn’t sure if he trusted these demons. With teeth and claws and wings like theirs, they could easily be like spiders waiting for him to fly into their web. 

 

Bayley sits herself on the edge of the bed. “Truthfully? You’re the most exciting thing that’s happened here in a long while.”

 

“Well...at least you’re being honest with me.”

 

There’s a banging on the door and they don’t wait for Becky to open it before they storm inside. Dean frowns when he sees who it is. Becky and Bayley both bow to their knees in respect to their king, but Dean only crosses his arms and remains seated where he is. The Demon King walks toward him and it’s the closest Dean’s ever been to the point where he can see more of him under the cloak. His razor sharp teeth were baring at him. The faint colors of black, grey, red, and white could be seen under the glow of those eyes. 

 

Dean gasps when one of his claws reaches up to scratch his cheekbone and a slight burn can be felt. It hurts way more than it should and Dean attempts to swat his claws away to no avail. The king is much stronger than he looks.

 

“You will speak to me with more respect, human.” The Demon King barked at him. “This is my kingdom! You are not worth carrying my name on your skin. As punishment, you will sleep in the underground prison cells for the rest of your stay! You will also be responsible for cleaning the castle as per my order and bow to me in my presence whenever I am near! But first...I want your apology.”

 

Bayley looks up. “Oh, no. Please don’t, Your Highness! Kane said he wasn’t a prisoner here! I’m sure he didn’t mean-” But it takes one glance from the king for Bayley to understand and she nods, defeated. 

 

Dean stared back at him with wide eyes. The claw scratching his cheek felt like it cut through skin now and made him groan in pain. “You can’t be serious. It’s your own fault that I’m here! I’m not apologizing for anything! You only have the guts to be in here because I called you out on it.”

 

Bayley and Becky’s jaws drop at Dean’s boldness. If it was the burning sensation, Dean couldn’t tell, but it was almost like he could reach out and feel the Demon King’s anger. The demon lets out a low roar and the room begins to spin around Dean as his body starts to feel numb. It felt like he was being poisoned. He had never felt something of this magnitude before.

 

“Wha-...What’re you…” The words slurred off his tongue like he didn’t know how to speak.

 

“You humans never change. You’re all foolishly ignorant.”

 

Once the claw leaves his cheek, Dean falls back on the bed, unconsciousness overtaking him.

 

* * *

 

When he wakes up in the underground prison cell, it’s freezing cold and his hands are locked in medieval style cuffs. The place is much less nicer than the small room he had before, nothing inside but the cold ground and metal bars. This reminded Dean of his worse days back in his world, minus the uncomfortable cuffs. It’s very dark down here too and the torches weren’t lighting up the place much.

 

That damn king. He was annoyed with him at first, but now Dean absolutely hated him. No way in hell was he going to apologize for something he wasn’t sorry for. And there was absolutely no way he would bow down to him. He was no king, he was a monster. 

 

Dean’s heart nearly bursts out of his chest when he sees an outline of someone on the other side of the cell bars. 

 

“Hey! Who’s there?”

 

“Oh, good. I couldn’t tell if you were awake or not, it’s too dim in this dungeon.”

 

Dean hears his voice but he didn’t answer the question. It doesn’t sound like anyone he had met yet, so he struggles to get himself up for a better look. Reaching the cold bars, he squints to see another demon who meets his gaze. Much like the other demons in this place, Dean still isn’t used to the red eyes with horns and wings sticking out as a dangerous trait.

 

“Hello, Dean. Don’t be frightened, please. My name is Roman.”

 

“Okay...and what are you doing down here?”

 

“I’ve been assigned by the Demon King to keep my eye on you and make sure you’re following orders.” He notices Dean’s troubled expression and tries for an optimistic smile. “Don’t think of me as your enemy, Dean. Think of me as more of a bodyguard, in a way.”

 

“Bodyguard. Sure.”

 

God, he hated that king. What he hated worse at the moment was the cold.

 

“Does this mean I’m his prisoner now? He’s got me locked up like one.”

 

Roman shrugs. “You  _ are _ being punished. But hopefully it won’t last long. The Demon King is usually a very forgiving leader.”

 

Dean scoffs. “Yeah. Sure he is. He was awfully nice when he scratched my face and forced me to live down here in a cold, dark dungeon.”

 

Roman looked puzzled. “What scratch? I don’t see any scratch.”

 

Raising his hands to his face, Dean tries feeling around the spot that the king had scratched and burned only to find nothing there. Odd, considering it felt like he had been cut. This place was messing with his head the longer he stayed.

 

“Ugh, nevermind. Roman, was it? Can you get me out of here for a bit? It’s cold as shit and I’d rather be cleaning this castle like he said than freeze to death in here.”

 

Roman thinks it over for a moment before he nods. “Alright. But I can’t let you out of your cuffs unless it’s necessary.”

 

“I’ll be cleaning, right? It’s totally necessary!”

 

Roman lets out a small chuckle when unlocking the cell. “Just wait until we’re upstairs, okay?”

 

Walking side by side, Dean can’t wait until he’s upstairs and away from the cold and out of the cuffs. He hoped Bayley and Becky weren’t in trouble for standing up for him. If the king was as forgiving as Roman said he was, he didn’t show it. His eyes fall on those dreaded letters on his knuckles again. The name that the Demon King stated Dean wasn’t worthy of carrying.

 

B A L O R

 

“Balor...that’s the king’s name, huh?”

 

Roman looks back at him and the lighting made it seem like his expression was etched with unease.

 

“Nobody has called him that in a long time.”

 

Dean smirks. “Well then...I guess I should be the first.”

 

Roman wasn’t sure if he should call this human idiotic or his new friend. Both were equally tempting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be a longer chapter, but I think I'll save that for chapter four.
> 
> Weird how Dean had no traces of being scratched...wonder what happened when he was passed out...


	4. Cardinal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for taking so long on this one but writer's block won't leave me alone so...

“My king, please try and relax. The punishment is settled and we will make sure the human follows the rules accordingly,” Kane advised as Balor paced in the throne room. 

 

It had been hours now but the demon was still seething with rage. He hated the idea of any human showing up out of the blue and thinking he could call the shots. Hopefully with some time down in the dungeon and showing more respect, the human will figure out that he was not in control here. Why, just why, did the human have to be stuck down in his kingdom. 

 

He growls. “The human better. I cannot stand those mortal beings. So detestable.”

 

“Please sit down and rest, Your Majesty. You hardly have enough strength as it is.”

 

“I am perfectly adequate!”

 

When Balor yells, the room shakes in a quiet rumble which leads Kane to place a hand on his shoulder. He can feel how icy cold the king is. Balor lets out a long exhale while the shaking settles. These days, it’s been getting harder for the king to have self control. Every other day now the kingdom would rumble as it was now apparent to his people that the king was not well. Having a human around has made it much worse from his contempt for them. 

 

“I can’t continue like this much longer, Kane. I need salvation. But the future of my kingdom is now in jeopardy because of that man.” Walking back, he falls back into his throne with a thud. There were short moments when he felt too weak to stand. “Salvation...it is reaching out of my grasp now.”

 

“Now, now. Let’s not think about that. The staff in your castle and every demon living in this kingdom know that you have made it out of worse situations. The human is just a minor setback.”

 

“Let’s continue to find a way to send him back, then. He may carry my name on his skin, but that doesn’t mean I will remain betrothed to him.”

 

There’s a loud knocking on the other side of the throne room doors and Balor quickly pulls the cloak back over his body. There was no need to alarm the staff of his condition, even if they already suspected how bad he was. 

 

Kane gives the order to come in and entering the room is one of the servants, Seth. A loyal member of the castle, he was a demon of many talents. Checking on the status of his kingdom was one of them. Lately, the kingdom has been in a panic over their ruler and Balor has given thanks to Seth for keeping everyone calm. 

 

There’s a nervous expression on the face of Seth. “Good day, Demon King. I had discovered what occurred earlier today with the human. You’ve been resting well?”

 

Balor hugs his cloak close to him, feeling the cold chill of his skin. “I’ve been managing. What brings you in here?”

 

“I just wanted to inform you and Kane that the human has awoken from his sleep and is now with Roman in the halls.”

 

“Is he doing what he was ordered to do?” Kane asks.

 

“Well...as much as he doesn’t want to, yes.”

 

“Kane, help me up,” Balor orders. 

 

“Your Majesty, there’s no need. You need to relax instead.”

 

“No, what I need is to see for myself that the human is not disobeying orders. Help me up. Seth, you take me where he is.”

 

“Yes, my king.” Seth nods as he watches the Demon King be lifted off of his throne.

 

* * *

 

It felt as if an hour had went by, yet Dean was only done cleaning half of the hallway. With only the red moon outside, it was hard to tell how long it was. The whole castle seemed to go on forever with no end. He couldn’t tell if it was built in such a way or if the Underworld was having a negative effect on him. Cleaning through old antiques and floors was much better than freezing in an underground cell, though. Taking a short break to catch his breath, Dean sits against the wall, Roman sitting across from him.

 

“You couldn’t of helped me out just a litte?”

 

Roman shrugs with a smile. “My orders are to keep an eye on you, not to help you clean.”

 

“Thanks for keeping me company and taking the cuffs off, at least. And also promising not to tell anyone that I accidentally ripped one of the paintings.” He looks down the darkened hall. “I wonder where Bayley and Becky are at.”

 

“I overheard Seth talking with Luke and Karl before I went down to see you. I’m guessing that they’re not allowed to see you from now on. Or until your punishment is over.”

 

Dean hadn’t known them for too long, but there was no need to shelter off Bayley and Becky from him. In the end, all they were doing was trying to help him adjust. Especially Bayley. 

 

Looking outside the large glass windows and spotting the crescent moon, Dean’s curiosity settled on the kingdom below and began to wonder what it was like down there. If it was better than being trapped in a prison disguised as a castle.

 

“Who’s Seth?”

 

“Oh, he’s one of the other servants that live in here. His job is to handle business outside of the castle.”

 

“And what do you usually do, Roman? I mean, besides watching over me.”

 

“I serve as a guard of the Demon King. If something were to happen to Luke and Karl, I’m your guy.”

 

“Seems kinda empty for a castle this big though,” Dean points out, pulling out his pocket knife to fiddle with. 

 

“The Demon King’s trust is hard to obtain. But the kingdom loves him.” Roman smirks. “I suppose it’s not the same for you.”

 

“I don’t know, what gave you that idea?” Dean returns the smirk.

 

They both begin to hear footsteps heading down the hall and get back on their feet to see the Demon King and his advisor make their way over. There’s another demon walking beside them who is most likely Seth, his long black tail and pointed horns highly unsettling. Dean could see Roman kneeling in respect from the corner of his eye.

 

Seeing the king again did nothing to brighten up Dean’s mood, but something felt different than the last time they were in the same place together. The blue glow in Balor’s eyes were now dim and there was no aura of anger. It was like Dean could sense the weakness radiating off of the king. They had only been separated for a few hours but this seemed like a different demon and not the all-powerful king. 

 

“I see you’ve been doing what you’ve been ordered to do.”

 

“Mm-hm.”

 

Blue eyes scan across the hall. “You’ve done well, human. A lot better than I expected.”

 

Dean was feeling absolutely confused now. Was the king of all demons actually trying to compliment his work? Hearing the Demon King’s words, his voice sounded less deep than it used to be. It didn’t sound like Balor. 

 

“Thanks...I guess.”

 

Gazing at the half-cleaned hallway, though, the king had noticed that one of his paintings had been torn. He could feel himself falling under again.

 

Balor swayed as he took a step forward. “I asked you to bow down when I am in your presence.”

 

A frown appeared as Dean balled his fists. “No. I’m not one of your servants.”

 

Despite his weakened state, the Demon King steps closer. “Bow down.”

 

Shockingly, the king is less intimidating than he was only hours ago. Dean didn’t know how to describe it, but it sounded more like a plea than an order. 

 

“I’m not going to....Balor.”

 

The demon’s eyes widened, seemingly at a loss for words from hearing his old name in a long time. It was imminent with the human carrying the name on his hands this whole time. But it still made him stop in his tracks at how vile the name had left those lips. He suddenly feels dizzy from lack of rest. Luckily, Kane and Seth are able to catch him before he falls.

 

“Your Majesty,” Seth whispers. “You’ve used too much energy today. We’ll take care of the human. Let’s get you to your bedroom.”

 

Balor opens his eyes to look at Dean, who only looks mildly concerned over his state. 

 

“Roman...take the human back to his cell,” he pants. 

 

A gentle arm tries tugging Dean away but he roughly pulls back. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you better stop treating me like I’m one of your subjects.”

 

“You are still...living in my castle…”

 

“Fuck you, you demonic monster. If that’s the case, then I’ll leave!”

 

The shocked expression of the king is the last thing Dean sees before he runs as fast as he can to wherever he could in the castle. He hears Roman yelling out for him but Dean doesn’t look back once. He wanted to be away from here. Life back in his own world would be better than staying here another minute. If he was dreaming, he wanted to wake up. 

 

Turning around every corner to avoid being caught, Dean didn’t have time to observe rooms he had never been inside of yet, he just felt like getting away. He stops to breathe in an unfamiliar room that looked like an abandoned art gallery. Gazing at the paintings, they were very similar to the ones from the halls, landscapes of a rural side village. 

 

A part of Dean desired the life carried in these paintings. To lay in the tall grass and look up at the blue sky while your home is not too far behind. Home. Dean hadn’t felt at home anywhere for the majority of his life and it wasn’t in some dark dungeon. He wanted to cry at how much he would rather be struggling for his next meal right about now.

 

He hears the door creak open and his heart jolts in fear of Balor or one of his servants finding him in here, but is surprised to see Bayley’s face appear to him. She looked highly concerned.

 

“Dean? I saw you running and followed you here. Are you okay? What’s going on?”

 

Dean tries to look behind the open door. “Anybody with you?”

 

“No, just me.”

 

Looking around the room, Dean spots a large window, the red of the eternal night seeping through. There’s a small lock, but it looks pretty simple to open.

 

“I can’t go back to my own world but I’m not gonna stay in here anymore, Bayley. I don’t care what’s out there, I’m leaving this place.”

 

She grabs ahold of his wrist, her claws lightly scratching the skin. “Dean. Don’t.”

 

“I’m not going to give into him.”

 

“Remember when I said that all demons are different here? If you leave this castle, you don’t know what kinds of demons you’ll run into. I don’t know a lot about humans, but I know that you won’t survive out there on your own. Please stay. I’ll convince the king to forgive you.”

 

He lets out a bitter laugh. “I think Balor and I are far from that now. I’m sorry, Bayley. I’m going.”

 

Dean ignores the pulling of Bayley and her requests to stay as he unlocks the window. It’s not a high jump, luckily and he swears he can hear the running footsteps of Luke and Karl heading nearby. Taking a big breath, Dean counts to three and makes a jump for it. The bushes make for a hard landing, but he still rolls gently onto the ground. He lifts his head to see Bayley shut the window. No going back now. 

 

Regardless of the night sky, the red moon is bright enough to light up the garden of the castle. It sounds like there is water rushing somewhere on the side of the castle. The garden is filled with various flowers, some that don’t look like one's ever seen in his own world. It was mesmerizing. 

 

The castle walls seemed like an easy enough climb over, so with a few deep breaths, Dean makes his way. He didn’t think twice about what would happen if the Demon King found him. Making his way over the wall, he could see the lights of the kingdom and braced himself for what was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think is going on with the Demon King? And what might happen to Dean now that he has escaped the castle?

**Author's Note:**

> If you're curious to know more about this story or simply want to say hi, come by @dragon-familiar at tumblr.


End file.
